Question 1

What is the difference between reactive hypoglycemia and diabetic hypoglycemia?

Accepted Answer

Reactive hypoglycemia means blood sugars drop after eating a high carb meal due to an exaggerated response by the pancreas. People with diabetes get hypoglycemic when their carb intake does not match their med intake or when they expend more calories than they usually do and take the same amount if Insulin or other meds.

Question 2

Is reactive hypoglycemia common in a young slim person? i keep geting symptoms of it but tested negative for diabetes

Accepted Answer

Hypoglycemia is opposit to diabetes that is hyperglycemia. If hypoglycemia  happens frequently in a slim person, it usually indicates the person might not eat enough. Anorexia may be the reason if the slim person concerns her/his body shape. In rare case, insulinoma can cause frequent hypoglycemia too. Consult your doctor to check it up.

Question 3

Can a diabetes dietician diagnose or confirm a diagnosis of reactive hypoglycemia?

Accepted Answer

The best way to confirm hypoglycemia is by testing the sugar at the time of symptoms to see if is truly low (under 60).  Many people with symptoms of hypoglycemia find that their sugars are actually normal when they are having symptoms, and that the symptoms are related to something else.

Question 4

Diag w/ reactive hypoglycemia years ago.  just had a fasting insulin number of 8 (9-29 range) what does this mean? strong family diabetes.  i'm small

Accepted Answer

Independent of a concomitant glucose an Insulin level doesn't mean much. If blood sugar is high, low, or normal with an Insulin level of 8 uu/ml, the interpretation is completely different.

Question 5

How common is fainting from non-diabetic/reactive hypoglycemia?

Accepted Answer

not so much. Feeling like fainting is much more common. Happens. The physiology of it is in people who are becoming diabetic, they are not sensitive to insulin and the insulin regulation is off. The first thing is that with less sensitivity to it, the amount of insulin secreted goes sky high. Then, if there isn't enough sugar... reactive hypOglycemia and feeling empty.

Question 6

Is there an ultimate diet for reactive hypoglycemia, non-diabetic?

Accepted Answer

Unprocessed whole foods, adequate protein, good fats such as coconut oil, and lots of green leafy vegetables. Complex carbs are ok, but avoid refined carbs.
Avoid sugar.

Question 7

Can non-diabetic reactive hypoglycemia progress to fainting? how common?

Accepted Answer

Severe hypoglycemia irrespective of the etiology can lead fainting, seizure and death

Question 8

How can i have reactive hypoglycemia and not be diabetic or not even pre diabetic?

Accepted Answer

B"sd 
not uncommon situation - pre-diabetes can only be defined in retrospect  i.e. if you get diabetes! States  of  insulin resistance such as PCOS may present with reactive hypoglycemia and rarely so can an insulinoma.  As an endocrinologist will request a battery of tests to be done DURING hypoglycemia.  Timing that can  be very challenging.

Question 9

Is reactive hypoglycemia common in non diabetics?

Accepted Answer

Symptoms of hypoglycemia (shakiness, anxiety, palpitations, sweats) are common, but finding that the sugar is low causing these symptoms is very rare.  Reactive hypoglycemia occurs in some prediabetics after eating very sweet foods.  It can also occur in people who have had stomach surgery, due to a problem called dumping syndrome.  Doing a glucose tolerance test is usually misleading.

Question 10

Are reactive hypoglycemia and pre-diabetes the same thing?

Accepted Answer

They aren't quite the same thing. There are many types of pre-diabetes - which is any condition or indication that you might develop diabetes (chronically high blood sugar) later on. Oddly enough, reactive hypoglycemia (low blood sugar after eating)- or any hypoglycemia for that matter- is a risk factor for developing diabetes. Other pre-diabetic types: impaired glucose tolerance & fasting glucose

What is the difference between reactive hypoglycemia and diabetic hypoglycemia